21 States, 2 Territories Awarded Strategic Prevention Framework Grants

SAMHSA has awarded its first Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants to advance community-based programs for substance abuse prevention, mental health promotion, and mental illness prevention. The grants, to 21 states, total $230 million over 5 years.

According to SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Director Beverly Watts Davis, who serves as the Agency's Strategic Prevention Framework Matrix Lead, "The funds will support a five-step process known to promote youth development, reduce risk-taking behaviors, build on assets, and prevent problem behaviors." The five steps are: (1) conduct needs assessments; (2) build state and local capacity; (3) develop a comprehensive strategic plan; (4) implement evidence-based prevention policies, programs, and practices; and (5) monitor and evaluate program effectiveness, sustaining what has worked well.

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Funding by State

• The Arizona Governor's Office for Children, Youth, and Families will work with other state agencies to develop a statewide substance abuse prevention framework that results in data-driven, community-based activities targeting high-risk youth and families.

• The Colorado Prevention Partners for Sustainable Change project will promote interagency cooperation, launch new prevention systems, fill service and policy gaps, and build a state and community infrastructure that increases efficiency and maximizes resources.

• Connecticut will create a strategy for delivering and implementing substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion services that can be used by state and community partners.

• The Florida Strategic Prevention Alliance will use its grant to ensure that state and community strategic plans are supported by multiple resources for evidence-based programming.

• Illinois will encourage state and community leaders to work in tandem to remove barriers and build capacity for substance abuse prevention efforts.

• Kentucky will build a data-driven, interagency prevention service system. The state also will expand its use of geographic information system technology to guide community goal-setting and resource allocation.

• Louisiana will develop a system that coordinates the planning and evaluation of evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and cost-effective prevention activities.

• Maine will build a statewide, data-driven prevention infrastructure that provides common tools for prevention programs.

• Michigan will use its grant to enhance the effectiveness of prevention services by increasing the use of evidence-based strategic planning models.

• Missouri will build on the efforts begun under the Governor's Prevention Initiative to establish a sustainable substance abuse prevention infrastructure, which is data-driven, culturally competent, and evidence-based.

• Nevada will use its funds to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse, including childhood and underage drinking. The program will also improve state and community prevention capacity and infrastructure.

• New Hampshire will transform the state's prevention system.

• New Mexico will conduct a statewide needs assessment, create a comprehensive strategic plan for prevention, and launch new activities to reduce substance abuse.

• The Rhode Island program is a broad public/private initiative designed to enhance infrastructure and focus on childhood and underage drinking.

• Tennessee will provide the framework and resources for state government and communities to target scarce resources and build capacity more effectively.

• Texas will develop and coordinate a statewide strategy to prevent substance abuse and related problems by building on the existing infrastructure of the Drug Demand Reduction Advisory Committee.

• Washington will use its grant to implement and evaluate evidence-based strategies, and to establish reporting procedures that track progress toward preventing substance abuse and related problems, including mental illness, delinquency, and violence.

• West Virginia will work to coordinate prevention funding, improve program quality, and increase service availability.

• Wyoming will establish a state epidemiological work group and a regional community coordinator system. It also will implement evidence-based prevention programs in communities; modify programs, policies, and strategic plans based on annual data collection; and develop a data-driven decision-making framework.

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Funding by Territory

• Guam will develop a substance abuse prevention network that links a state-level advisory committee with community-based prevention mentors.

• Palau will engage communities in developing a strategic prevention framework based on sound prevention principles and Palauan culture and strengths.

More information about SAMHSA's Strategic Prevention Framework is available at www.samhsa.gov. 

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